@scsjofficial
Southern Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, legal, and advocacy 501(c)(3) organization. Voting Rights, Environmental Justice, + Justice System Reform. Learn more: southerncoalition.org
Willy Wender Aceituno, a U.S. citizen, has filed federal damages claims after armed and masked immigration agents in Charlotte shattered his car window, pulled him from his vehicle, and wrongfully detained him — despite having already confirmed his citizenship. southerncoalition.org/u-s-citizen-...
This week we joined a lawsuit on behalf of five individuals — and a class of similarly situated people — to prevent unlawful warrantless immigration arrests across North Carolina by DHS and its agencies, ICE, CBP, and U.S. Border Patrol. southerncoalition.org/five-individ...
Our 2025 Impact Report is here!
The year showed the strength of communities across the South who showed up for one another and demanded change. Dive into the stories, wins, and lessons that shaped our work in 2025.
southerncoalition.org/resources/20...
According to FBI Data, homicide offenses in North Carolina dropped 22.83% from 2024 to 2025. Real public safety comes from evidence-based solutions, not fear-driven policies. southerncoalition.org/justice-syst...
A federal judge has blocked an attempt by Chemours and DuPont to hide documents related to the release of harmful substances into the Cape Fear River. southerncoalition.org/judge-denies...
A panel of federal judges will not block the North Carolina General Assembly’s latest congressional map, which changes Congressional Districts 1 and 3 and disproportionately impacts Black voters. southerncoalition.org/federal-judg...
Duke Energy wants customers to pay billions for new methane gas plants and pipelines for big tech. Power companies have nothing to lose, but we do. 🚫 Help us rise up against this irresponsible surge of new fossil fuels!
https://loom.ly/N8-Ol_g
H307 is political theater. Communities deserve prevention, crisis response, reentry services, and legal aid — not faster and brutal executions and more people needlessly sitting in jails. southerncoalition.org/justice-syst...
Housing, healthcare, SNAP = proven public-safety tools. H307 focuses on punishments instead of investments that stop violence before it starts. We can have more safety and more justice.
The person charged in Iryna Zarutska’s case had repeated mental-health crises that weren’t met with treatment — he was arrested instead. H307 doesn’t expand crisis teams or mental-health responses (like HEART or Raleigh CARES) that prevent violence. We need experts at the scene — not just arrests.
H307 reverses successful pretrial reforms that reduced unnecessary jailing. Rolling back reforms and limiting judicial discretion will keep more people jailed just because they’re poor — not because they pose a danger. Evidence
shows bail reform doesn’t increase crime.
The death penalty doesn’t make us safer.
H307 fast-tracks capital cases and introduces brutal methods like firing squads — despite decades of evidence that the death penalty is not a deterrent and risks killing innocent people. We deserve policies rooted in evidence, not outrage
North Carolina's H307 Is NOT a Public Safety Plan.
Headline-driven law < real solutions. H307 pushes more jail, prison, and executions — but it doesn’t fix what actually makes communities safe: housing, healthcare, and prevention. 🧵
We are joining voters and pro-democracy partners to challenge North Carolina’s retaliatory map that targets Black voters in the Black Belt. North Carolinians deserve fair maps.
Learn more: southerncoalition.org/voters-pro-d...
While this won't guarantee parole for Abrams or anyone else, it ensures their reviews will be based on accurate, complete, and fair information. A step that will provide hope that NC's parole review process will be fairer moving forward.
Now, under the settlement, the NC Parole Commission must:
✔️ Provide notice and guidance so parole candidates can submit complete records
✔️ Clearly identify sources of information
✔️ Distinguish between fact, opinion, and rumor in their reports
The Abrams lawsuit revealed serious flaws in NC’s parole system including:
– Missing and incomplete files
– Incorrect information in reviews
– Rumors treated as fact
These failures meant children sentenced to life had little chance at a fair parole review.
At 14, Brett Abrams was sentenced to life in prison.
After 42 years, his case will help secure parole reforms and give people sentenced as kids a real chance to prove their growth and rehabilitation. southerncoalition.org/settlement-r...
Challenges to voter rolls impacted millions of voters in recent election cycles—and disproportionately removed people of color.
We're working to implement evidence-based solutions that help election administrators and ensure no one is unjustly blocked from voting. Learn more: ucs.org/election-recs
For decades, West Badin’s predominantly African American residents have borne the brunt of this contamination. The former Alcoa smelter, which operated from 1916 until 2010, left hazardous waste buried near homes and local waterways.
We're demanding change.
southerncoalition.org/scsj-partner...
🗳️Election Day is just ten weeks from today. We know that too often, eligible voters face undue burdens that make it harder to vote.
We’re working with partners and election officials to implement science-backed solutions to improve access to the polls. Learn more at: ucs.org/election-recs
We're headed to court! Our case against SB 747, a law that targets the votes of young North Carolinians, will head to trial this October.
Young voters deserve to have their voices heard, and we're taking the fight to court to protect their rights. southerncoalition.org/civil-rights...
Agencies should have a clear policy for the instances in which it’s appropriate for officers to conceal their identities. Otherwise, it could lead to lack of transparency from law enforcement and the inability to hold people accountable.
Read more at: www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/c...
On August 26, a judge will hear new evidence in a case built on shaky video and testimony that’s since been recanted.
We believe James deserves a new trial. Share his story.
www.theassemblync.com/politics/cri...
#freejamesrichardson
James Richardson, an innocent North Carolina man wrongfully convicted for the murders of two people nearly two decades ago in Pitt County, will have his case back in court later this month as he continues to fight for his freedom. southerncoalition.org/innocent-gre...
The system failed James Richardson. It has one more chance to make it right.
Watch the trailer for "Is It Just Me?", a mini doc on his wrongful conviction and the community standing behind him.
📽️ Watch + Share:
SCSJ mourns the loss of our esteemed founding board member, James “Fergie” Ferguson, who passed away Monday.
Ferguson’s legacy of civil rights advocacy and community lawyering is woven deeply into the fabric of racial justice across NC and the nation.
More: southerncoalition.org/scsj-extends...
Edgecombe County showed what's possible when communities are heard. After almost two years of organizing, the school board adopted Map C, a redistricting map shaped by the community. southerncoalition.org/a-win-for-co...
Historic flooding from Chantal caused road closures and damage across Moore, Chatham, and Orange counties. Storms like this are becoming more intense and more frequent.
Check out our 'Steps to Build Flood Resiliency' resource for steps to protect your home:
Law enforcement training facilities are expanding, and the public deserves to have input.
We challenged Central Piedmont’s refusal to follow transparency laws. Now, they’ve agreed to turn over public records and lift bans on two residents who simply asked questions. www.yahoo.com/news/central...
